Perspective
“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Six months ago, I was having one of those “seasons” of life. It seemed like everything was going wrong! With a rash of life challenges taking place over eight weeks, I had busted through that adage of “bad luck comes in threes!” I replaced a faulty, and very expensive, starter in my very old car in the hope it would last through the end of the year when, surely, the price and interest rates might be better as dealers unload inventory! After paying the mechanic, he told me about another repair that needed to be made, which was quadruple the cost of the starter. I declined and held my breath driving around Houston in triple-digit temperatures.
The beautiful miniature potted roses on my patio developed a disease just before the heat of the summer and the watering restrictions kicked in, wiping them out for good. And was I the only one who noticed some foundation re-settlement this summer? When my elderly mother fell and broke her hip, I was forced to buy a new car since I was driving around town so frequently with my mother during the triple-digit temperatures and felt I was a responsible adult child! And then, my air conditioning went out in my home. Needless to say, I asked “Why me, Lord?” a few times last summer!
Yet, then I remembered this passage above, one of my favorites. We do not know anything about the Prophet Habakkuk. His text is written in a rather unique style for a prophet, where he issues complaints to God about the unfairness of life and God responds, generally raising new ideas for the prophet to consider. This short book ends with the words cited above.
The reason I like this passage is because of the word “yet” in Verse 18. In the verses leading to those above, Habakkuk is complaining, as usual. Then, in this passage, he outlines the reality he is facing and remembers. He remembers that Yahweh is his strength and, no matter what he is facing, God is still the God of his salvation and deserving of his praise. That one word – “yet” – turns his complaints and his perspective around.
Do you ever have “seasons” like this in your life? What might be the “yet” that could help you to turn your perspective from “Why me?” to “God is faithful?”
(And to those of you who asked about my “relaxing” summer, I apologize if I growled at you!)
